Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Wow- that didn't take long. I guess I should have said the FUNNIEST overall cause there were some funny ones in there. But according to the rules- that I made up while tired and getting my first buzz of Nyquil- the FIRST 2 things to make me smile/laugh are the winners. So with that said, here they are:

Lateralus sent me this that both amused me and made me kind of sick to my stomach:

And then this little gem from Delriach! Fucking love this! Where did it come from? How did I miss this?!?!

So there you have it. The first ever winners of the official EAT SLEEP PLAY jacket!

If you two guys will shoot me your emails in this post, I will get your jackets mailed out around the 5th of January. They are both the same size I think and I don't recall what that size is. And as always, I am not responsible- nor is EAT SLEEP PLAY- for getting you the jacket at all, getting it to you by a certain time, making sure you don't do stupid shit with the jacket,etc...we WILL send it but just saying that once it hits the mail, we're off the hook :)

But when you get it, would love to get a pic of you wearing it for the blog :)

Happy New Year everyone. Be safe, have fun, and thanks so much for all the great support over the last year!

David

Check back once the ball drops Pacific Time to see who the 2 winners are :)

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Whole house is sick with colds. Up all nite with my oldest who had a fever. At one point neither of us could sleep so we just said screw it (well, she didn't say that, she is 5) and we went downstairs, rented Disney's Aladdin on the Playstation Store (God I love digital distribution!), and watched cartoons for a few hours.

Today has been a mix of watching Christmas cartoons on TV with the girls (along with bits of the Wizard of Oz), reading a book, and playing games on STEAM (Crazy Machines, Pirates, TF2...inches away from downloading a new game I had never heard of until I got into Steam called NEXUS: The JUPITER INCIDENT)...

Oh hey, speaking of Steam: do any Steam users know if there is a way to get an itemized bill of all the games you have purchased and what they have cost?

Friday, December 19, 2008

Sitting here as the weekend rolls in and thinking, "I'm in the mood for some PC games"....now I know I have some I need to play for the awards and such, but I was like, "Nah, this weekend I wanna play some stuff I just want to play for me..."...and so I go to the STEAM store and grab Sid Meier's Pirates! (played on the psp for about 1 day and loved it but never went back cause I got busy)...and so I am getting that now and also getting TF2, as I only played that on console.

How fucking cool is this to shop for mass market, BIG, full games from your fucking desktop?!?!

I know I am 18 months late leaping onto the Steam train but fuck it, better late than never!

Monday, December 15, 2008

And here is the post I did on neo-gaf about the whole GOD OF WAR 3 Trailer reaction:

So my take on all of this, FWIW:

a- The footage aired on Spike looked meh. It was dark and grainy and I was watching on a SD television. But the SAME footage shown in screen grabs from this thread- which I guess was taken off an HDTV playing the footage in HD- was 100% ONE of the two GOD OF WAR 3 things I saw when I was in Santa Monica a few weeks ago. It is NOT the thing I was raving about- as I made clear in a video post a week ago- but I still think it looks darn good. To me, the stuff Spike showed when viewed in proper resolution looks like a AAA God Of War to me. It doesn’t rock my world but it doesn’t look: meh. It looks like I’d expect a next-gen GOW to look. Granted, the team still has a long way to go and I imagine the final game- in all areas- will look much better. But I still thought it looked good. Fair to disagree but at least you know where I am coming from/where my barometer is set for my expectations of AAA next gen graphics.b- What I was raving about has not been shown outside of internal Sony meetings. I imagine it will be shown soon, but I have no idea. I also assume that the Spike stuff was turned in earlier than the stuff I saw (that I raved about) as the stuff I saw was for a meeting and didn’t need to be edited, reviewed by Spike,Sony marketing,etc. The stuff I saw that I raved about was probably finished 1-2 days before I got to the studios. The Spike stuff I saw had aleady been turned into Spike so it was 100% older. Not that I thought it was bad- again- just I can see how the new stuff I saw looked further along, for sure. And to give you an idea, the stuff I saw that I raved about looked about 25-30% better than what you see in this thread (the Spike footage played on HD). If that’s not exciting and cool enough for you, fair enough. It happened to blow me away and remains the best looking console game I’ve ever seen…beyond Gears 2 which so far is the best looking console game ever released.c- Fuck you idiots with the painting thing. It’s not semantics, it’s not a trick phrase. If you know God of War then it doesn’t take much of a leap to assume I meant the footage looked like a painting of the concept art or a realistic, but bold and dramatic Renaissance era style painting. I am well aware a painting can be Andy Warhol style or can be Wind Waker style or can be- as one eloquent Gaffer wrote- simply them wiping their ass on paper and calling that a painting. But come on…is this really something you want to bust my balls on? We can argue and debate- when the footage comes out- if you agree with me that the footage DOES INDEED feel like a GOD OF WAR painting/GOD OF WAR concept art piece come to life…that seems a fair debate. But do you people really want to keep wasting your time and energy acting as if I was trying to sneak something by you because the term ‘painting’ can encompass all art styles? I think it was pretty clear what I meant. If I had seen something in GOD OF WAR 3 that indicated the art style had changed to a PAINTED Manga style or a WINDWAKER painted style or even something that tried to emulate the painted stylings of one particular neo gaffer’s fecal paste splattered onto a sheet of Charmin, then I would have hinted at something like that…but I didn’t so isn’t it kind of obvious what kind of painting I meant?d. Some of the venom aimed at me is amazing. I'm not out to get anyone, I'm not out to screw anyone over. I was expressing my feelings on a game I had seen. It was not PR it was not spin it was not marketing. It was being jazzed about some ultra cool graphics and tech and I was sharing that info and excitement. I stand to gain NOTHING if GOD OF WAR 3 is a success. Hell, I stand to lose more if it is a big hit given that if the game fails- which it will not come close to failure, by the way- but if it DID fail, I look even better because then folks will go, "well, see what happens when Jaffe leaves...the game falls apart" and my stock goes up. Not that I want that to happen and not that that will happen given the talent on that team and what I have seen so far, but all I am saying is: to those who think this was/is some sort of attempt at starting a hype train, use your heads.

Take care- eager for the footage I saw to come out and then have that discussion/debate.

Friday, December 12, 2008

I was actually on HOME last nite, started a club and everything (Sweet Tooth's Lair)...I think there is much potential there but they need to get LOTS more stuff to do in it....but still...this video...fucking great!

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Ok guys, that's it! Thanks! Last one in under the wire was- I think- name was Jguy? Something like that?

Will send the cards out end of the week- if you care to do so, take a pic with your shiny new EAT SLEEP PLAY holiday card and I'll post it on the blog...but only if you want to...I like stuff like that. I know some people hate to be 'on the net'...so no worries.

Also, keep an eye out for our end of the year EAT SLEEP PLAY 'big' holiday gift. If we can swing a few extra, we'll be giving them out via the blog to Eat Sleep Play fans. Maybe a random drawing, maybe a CALLING ALL CARS competition...not sure yet. Will let ya'll know.

Friday, December 05, 2008

I was more of a Starlog kid myself, just missing out on the heyday of Famous Monsters of Filmland. But I still read Forry's mag (he was its creator and editor) and was always excited to see the covers. Never made it to his prop filled house in LA, always meant to...never did. But I always recognized a kindred spirit in Mr. Ackerman and I'm sad to see him go.

These days his role is probably best being played by Harry Knowles and that seems- to me- like a damn fine fitting transfer of power. One uber fan to the next.

It's also cool that the internet has brought all us geeks together in a way that a magazine from the 60's and 70's never could. But Famous Monsters- and Forry- was one of the first big steps in letting so many of us geeks- so often isolated and alone and feeling like outsiders- know that they were not alone. And that's a damn cool legacy to leave, you know?

Thursday, December 04, 2008

My brother- who is celebrating his bday today- went to Davenport's Pizza in Mountain Brook Village tonite with much of the family. Wish we coulda been there...ah well, next time!

BUT check it- he just sent me these; pics from the pizza place:

They STILL got arcade games in there! And look! Thems are some OLD SCHOOL arcade games too! Donkey Kong!??! And what's this I see?!?! Is it?!?! IT IS!!! It's Phoenix! Man I loved that game- used to play it all the time at the bowling alley at Eastwdood mall...ah memories!

To younger readers you prob. don't get the big deal, do you? Ah well, was from another time...the arcades of the old days are dead and gone, have been for well over a decade...but GOD they used to be magical places. And this just brings it all back...so glad I got to grow up during that time...

Monday, December 01, 2008

Which is why I don't really call it a Christmas tree. Except when I do :)

I love the holidays and about 5 years ago I decided that I was going to celebrate the season any damn way I pleased.

And part of that celebration is embracing Xmas trees and decorations as well as lighting the Menorah on the first night of Hanukkah. Part of it is watching HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS and the CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS special and opening the door for the Hanukkah man (I'll explain later) while also being fully aware that I may very well not believe in God...or maybe I do. Depends on the day. Today- and certainly lately- I kind of do. To the point that there are days where I buy into the more new age concept that we are all God...or even that we are all the same being spread out into multiple consciousnesses.

So like I said: agnostic.

Or fucking insane.

All the damn way, baby.

Check out my Christmas tree decorations! We put it up Thanksgiving morning! A few years back we decided to try to do a sort of old fashioned Christmas tree and that is mainly what it is (in terms of ornaments and such) but as of late, more pop culture elements have been creeping in :)

Hope you guys/gals had a great holiday!

'taint Xmas without the web slingah! Why did I just type 'slinger' that way? What am I, at a baseball game selling peanuts?

Jews for Jesus? Nah. Just seems appropriate given our mixed family and backgrounds. Like I said, it's a HOLIDAY tree :)

Saw these at the Hallmark store and thought they were cool. Not SD manga style, but close. And ya'll know I'm on a Disney kick these days.

There he is! Gotta have one of these, yes? Think I got this at last year's EAT SLEEP PLAY Xmas party. Someone should make a GOD OF WAR one...that would be sweet!

Ok, gonna head out for some coffee (addicted to the Einstein Bros. Winter Blend...I kid you not, it tasted like fecal paste smells at first...but now I can't go a day without it)....

Later!

David

ps. YES, it's a fake tree. Had a real one several years back and dug it but the pine needles got all over the place and it was a pain to chop up enough so it would fit in the trash bins...but one day when I strike it GUITAR HERO rich, I'm buying one of those massive trees that you see the rich folk have in the movies that fit into the giant living rooms and what not :)

pps. no, there are no presents under the tree. The economy man! The economy!!! Actually, we just have not been shopping yet. Also, with a 3 and a 5 year old, you think I'm sticking stuff to unwrap under the tree, out in the open? HELLS no! Plus, I never got that. Maybe some Christians can help out here: if Santa brings the gifts on Xmas eve, why do I always see trees with presents under them much sooner than Xmas eve. Where do you tell kids those came from?

I grew up in a time when the words 'GAY' and 'FAG' were easily tossed around as insults. I am ashamed to admit that I- as a boy and teenager- used both terms when jokingly insulting my friends (and seriously insulting my enemies) more than I should have (i.e. more than once). But it was the times and back then it never occurred to many of us that using those words in such a fashion could have really been hurting a gay person who was in earshot- closeted or out, but back then, I didn't know a single gay person in my school...I imagine that's very different for high schoolers today?...

...but today, for me and the people I know, the F word in any context and the word 'Gay' when used in a derogatory way are simply unacceptable. I hope visitors to this blog feel the same.

But the issue now is, I find myself without a good word to describe a guy- or the action of a guy- that is wimpy and soft and girly. I mean, I could use the words: wimpy, soft, and girly, but none of those have the same punch as the old 'G word', you know? How much of the power of the 'G word' tho, comes from the fact that a portion of our society still has an ignorance and hatred of gay people? And how much of it comes from the actual phonics of the word itself? Probably the former. Especially considering that I do know gay people now and with the exception of one, I no longer associate gay people with the adjectives wimpy, soft, or girly.

And before you accuse me of being ultra PC, remember, that same sort of 'oh you're being too sensitive' sentiment was tossed around back in the 60's when discussing civil rights for African Americans. And look where we are- thank God- today. Look who is in the White House.

And so, no, I don't think I am being too sensitive about this. Words matter in that they help form our reality. And so I will choose to continue to avoid these two words. But that brings me to the issue, the dilemma, and the whole point of this post.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Be safe! Have fun! And- if I may be so bold as to offer advice- do try to take some time out to appreciate and be thankful for what you've got. You hear about shit like these attacks in India today and it makes one grateful for all that is good in life. Granted, it should not take a terrorist attack to make you feel that way, but sometimes you do forget.

And I tell you, my life has been a heck of an interesting ride this last year, but I wouldn't change a thing and I am so grateful for all that I do have. I hope you guys/gals feel the same. Thanks for reading, enjoy your holiday, and I'll chat with you guys later on.

As for my plans: Watch Macy's holiday parade with the kids, Tgiving lunch with the family, then dessert at a friend's house, some games (MGS4, GEARS OF WAR2, MK VS. DCU), and maybe I will catch a movie (Australia maybe but I didn't like the director's other flicks...maybe 4 XMASes even tho I hear it's totally average and forgettable)...but hey, it's the holidays so I gotta see SOMETHING!

Oh, and I leave you with this internet classic. I am sure you've seen it 1000 times but- for me anyway- it NEVER gets old!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

CAPITAL LETTERS ARE COMING TO GET YOU! THEY WILL KILL YOU! THEY WILL FIRST OFFEND YOU AND THEN THEY WILL DRAIN THE LIFE FORCE FROM YOUR EVERY ORIFICE! CAPITAL LETTERS...THEY WILL BE THE END OF US ALL!!!!!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

a- LOVE MGS4...have yet to finish it but I LOVE it. I just think as an overall game- for ME- Gears was able to achieve its goals better and thus, the overall game experience- for me- was better. But MGS4's ambitions were clearly very, very lofty, ambitious, and forward thinking and I think they succeeded at achieving those ambitions 90% of the time. GEARS SEEMED - what do I know?- to shoot for a simpler set of goals and they- to ME- nailed every single one of those goals. Both games are essential playing (and will probably remain so beyond 2008) and it's very possible that given how much unique stuff MGS4 tries to do, it could eventually be seen as the 'better' game. And I think it will certainly be seen as the game that influences more games- from a pure mechanics standpoint- going forward. Altho the Gears reload 'mini game' is genius and for some reason- for me- works SO MUCH BETTER in Gears 2 than in Gears 1 (altho I don't think it's changed so I dunno why I am saying that...but in GOW2 it just seems to fit in better). But come on, they are both classics.

b- We have not gone multiplatform. We are 100% exclusive to Sony and we are proud of and grateful for that affiliation. It means a lot to us to be exclusive to Sony, given our history with the company and love the idea of providing ultra fun games exclusively for the PS3 audience. I remember being a kid with my ATARI 2600 and my best friend had the INTELLIVISION and it rocked to have exclusives that helped define my console. It was also fun to go over to his house to play stuff that I could not play at home (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, B-17 Bomber!) In this day and age, exclusives gets more and more rare and so it's pretty cool to be aiding in carrying on with that tradition. Doesn't mean we will ALWAYS be single platform, but right now we see no reason not to be and are- again- very, very happy with the situation and would love to think Sony will always want us to be exclusive to them.

END UPDATE

++++++++++

For those wondering where I was this weekend- when I had just posted saying I was going to be making a Skype enabled appearance at the Video Game Expo in Philadelphia- well here is your answer:

I was sitting at home, on my ass, playing some MK vs. DCU and waiting to go virtually on stage.

But then as the minutes ticked by, I started to realize, "Hey, this thing ain't happening..."

So I went for a walk with the ex-wife to get some coffee and hang out.

Odd thing is,I JUST found out- as in minutes ago, as in TONITE, SUNDAY NITE-that the appearance was officially cancelled an hour (or perhaps just minutes) before it was supposed to occur.

So on my end folks: I had- and still have- no idea what happened.

I had been in very regular contact with the VGXPO people over the last month. Very nice folks, clearly they are interested in putting on a good show and if they continue to want my support in the future, I see no reason to withhold it.

BUT you'd think sometime between last Thursday afternoon (when I first started trying to reach them to get some 411 and confirmation) and, say, 5 minutes before our talk was scheduled to go on, SOMEONE from the show could have called or emailed me to let me know what the fuck was going on.

Alas, it's Sunday nite at 10 in San Diego and I've not heard a word from these guys.

What the fuck.

But I'm sure they cancelled it for a good reason. I know as of Monday, there were some firewall issues we were trying to deal with in order to get the Skype going. So I got no beef with them canceling it. Hell, it's not like I was gonna get paid for it (I don't take money for this kind of stuff). My issue is more with: hey, could you guys have fucking given me a heads up? Before you cancelled it? DURING your canceling it? How about over a day AFTER we were scheduled to go on. But alas, nada. Still have not heard word one.

And damn, it's a good thing I didn't, you know, have PLANS or anything that I had set aside in order to be there for the dang show. You know, the one I wasn't getting PAID to do? The one I did for FREE cause I'm a nice guy and thought it would be fun to support a 'game show for gamers instead of just industry peeps' kind of deal? Yeah, that one. THAT show. Sheesh.

Anyway, hope no one showed up to see me and was pissed. And hell, I hope everyone involved in putting on my part of the show is ok. Hope no one got sick or anything.

But anyway, there's the info.

If there's any interest, we'll do a live video blog again- at this site- in the next few weeks and we can all get together online and chat games. Deal?

Ok, gotta run. Office is a damned mess and I wanna clean it before the week gets going. It's real hard for me to get focused on work when the office looks like nuke hit.

David

ps. I saw GOD OF WAR III when I was in Santa Monica last week. I can and will not give away details. But I think it's ok for me to say two things:

a- HOLY HOLY HOLY FUCKING HELL!!!! b- I thought GEARS OF WARS 2 looked about as good as a next-gen game could look....and that game is currently- and will probably remain- my game of the year. And hell, I think I actually get to vote on that kind of stuff in some circles :) And unless I get blown away by POP or something else I missed, GEARS 2 is the SHIT....this year. Dudes and dudettes, fucking WAIT till you see the amazing graphics...just fucking wait. And yes, Xbots, accuse me all you want of being a Sony fanboy. Just remember two things:

#1- I just said GEARS 2 is the BEST fucking playing and looking game of the year....better than any PS3 game. And there are some damn good PS3 games, I feel.

#2- FUCK YOU! I ain't no fan boy but this mother fucking game looks like nothing you've ever played...and you can hold me to that when this thing hits and when they start showing gameplay footage. It looks like a painting come to life- it's THAT good looking.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Hey- so the folks who put on the Video Game Expo (that's VGXPO to you and me) asked me to come speak this weekend at the big show. Problem is, it's in Philly and I didn't want to travel so close to Thanksgiving...lots to do around here, ya know?

BUT they were kind enough to allow me to attend via the magic of Skype and/or Ichat. Now I know we tried something similar in Nottingham a few weeks back and had some tech glitches. This should go smoother as we:

a- are gonna prob. go with the stabler Skype versus Ichatb- are going to test it out more thoroughly than we did in Nottingham...we DID a test but failed to take into account duration which- it turns out- matters. Longer you are on the signal-especially so far away- worse it seems to get. I don't know why, but there you go.c- The show location and my house are much closer than my house and Europe so the signal should be stronger/better.

Anyhow, I've been turning down many of these very generous invites over the last year as I really have little to say that I don't already say here on the blog. And I figure if you care enough to come see me talk, you've already cared enough to visit my blog (where you can see me rant from the comfort of your own home/laptop) and so, what are you really going to get out of this? Also- until I have a new game to promote- what the hell am I really? A guy with a big mouth and a blog who has cranked out some hit games working with some amazing teams but has not had a real hit since 2005? I mean, shit...I'm this close to signing autographs sitting next to the game designer of Hungry Hungry Hippos and the chick who played Small Wonder at Comic Con next year :)...and trust me, some of the Jaffe haters would tell you that I don't even rate that! Fucktards.

BUT this whole virtual appearance thing is pretty darn neat to me. And so doing it that way is enough to bring me out into the semi-real world. But after this, I prob. won't be doing anything like this till we are promoting the new game. I mean what's the point really?

As for promoting the new game, when is that, you ask? Well at least I hope you ask!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

BOON:: No. I think [the characters we chose] are the most popular. I think that pretty much encompassed 90% of the audience. We'd hear people complaining if we didn't have Superman in the game. ... There was the occasional person who said Lobo or Doomsday or someone like that [should have made the cut] but we're hoping to do downloadable content on this game, so that could also be a great opportunity to add some of the ones that were left out.

Had forgotten this hit this week. Saw a review on Kotaku, realized it was out. Ran and picked it up during lunch yesterday and played for a few hours late last nite. I have ALWAYS loved MK, but especially the earlier 2D games. This one feels like a decent cross between old school 2D MK and some of the later 3D efforts.

I'm digging it. The online is buttery smooth and Captan Marvel fucking ROCKS! He's my fave...his special attacks are so fun and really link well together. Green Lantern so far seems kind of cheap but I must just be fighting him wrong cause I know in this day and age they would not allow a character to be that cheap in a fighting game. But man, once someone gets me with that hammer attack, I just can't get up to defend or counter.

Never been much of a SF or TEKKEN or VF fan...that stuff is amazing but way too deep for me. MK is more my speed, for sure! And I am digging this one. Something is a BIT off in the combat, tho. It's not that it's sluggish. It may have to do with reach for the jumps and some of the attacks...the distance the attacks go is a bit too short for me and keeps me from falling into that great combat rhythm I used to get with earlier MKs. I find myself missing a good 30-50% of the attacks just by a few virtual inches. And that bugs. But overall, it's fun! Enough to keep me from finishing the stunning GEARS OF WAR 2 for at least another few nights while I learn some more characters, finish the story mode, and battle online. But then come the weekend, it's back to Gears!

NOTE: Took the actual game off the site as it turns out the sound was interfering with the video posts....

I've always been an 'on the edge' Vegetarian. Not a vegan (but we do make sure to get most eggs and cheese products from animal friendly farms). But the meat stuff- since I was a kid- always kind of grossed me out. I DO like the taste of chicken and steak. But the concept of eating something that was very recently walking around is usually too much for me to stomach. But sometimes I deal with it and enjoy a steak at Ruth's Chris or an egg and bacon biscuit at Mickey D's ('mamma! mamma! Grandma won a Centipede game at Mickey D's!!!)...but after playing this- and watching the movie at the end- fuck it. I'm done. For good this time. And I feel pretty darn good about it. It's not for everyone, but it is for me, that's for sure.

Big dog and pony with the Sony folks tomorrow- wish us luck!

Talk later!

David

ps. the sound is coming from the Peta game- sorry about that. Wish I could turn it off....if it gets annoying, I will just rip the game from the post and put up a link.

Friday, November 14, 2008

And here's Prince of Persia's GREAT but (I think) totally misrepresentative trailer. The bullshit flies off the chart at 3:30...check it:

NOTE: And before anyone posts- yes I KNOW the job of advertising is to evoke feelings in the potential customer. BUT usually those feelings are somewhat tied to what the actual product has a potential shot at evoking. Buy a sexy sports car and you VERY WELL MAY feel like a bad ass for a while. So it makes sense to sell me the car with an ad that stimulates that feeling. But attaching a desirable feeling to a product that in no way has a shot in hell at evoking that particular feeling? That's dishonest and lame and- worst to me- disrespectful to our great medium. ESPECIALLY when the product in question already evokesperfectly desirable feelings that can be used to sell the game (i.e. sell me Gears by promising I get to be a bad ass mother fucker...that's honest).

SECOND NOTE: And where the fuck is the gaming press in calling us out on all our bullshit? It's not that I want to be called a liar- cause again, I'm guilty of this shit too- BUT our games- as an INDUSTRY- get BETTER when we get called on bullshit and are forced to do better with each swing at the bat. Instead, most of the press seems to get all fanboy geekout over this shit and they should be holding our feet to the damn fire about it. And if there is a game journalist out there that is calling 'foul' on this, I am not aware. But I apologize in advance if I was not aware of you.

THIRD NOTE: One thing I should consider is perhaps this is a way to bring non gamers into the fold. They come expecting a certain experience that they are comfortable with and then get into gaming. Hard to sell a non gamer on some of the gamey things games do so well unless they know how cool it is...and perhaps this is a good way to trick them into taking a game for a test drive that they never would. It's still lying and I hate it and think it disrespects what we do. And I think gamers- who are gonna show up for the great gameplay either way- should at least not be so easily swayed. But I can see the point- if that is indeed the case- about bringing in the non gamers...

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Been playing Gears 2 every nite after work for the last 3 nights. Mainly the single player. LOVING it. FIrst game to me was good and stunningly produced but didn't hold my interest beyond a day or two. THIS one? So much fun and fuck the haters...when that dude...well hell...SPOILER BELOW:

When that dude offs himself cause the torture had been too much? Man, I actually got a touch emotional. I didn't cry or anything...fuck that, that's for babies!! But I was like: dude, poor guy. Cause that character had been set up really well and then the fact that he kills himself cause it got too much it's like: DAMN, if THAT guy couldn't handle it....

And so the next gun battle I was like: FUCK these Locusts for doing that to my buddy!

So hell, MAYBE there's something to this storytelling and gameplay merging...:) Who knows...

ANYWAY- point is: I've been playing so much I just work up from a dream where I was in this great gun battle with someone on my side- not sure who- against all kinds of bad guys. The final bad guy was the guy who played the 'mmmmm.....yeah' manager from Office Space and is now the new agent on Entourage. HE was chasing us with this little action figure that had been rigged to a bunch of explosives. But then I shot him IN THE FACE with a shotgun and it didn't really hurt him and I was like: WTF! It was one of those moments where what was happening in the dream was so unrealistic I guess it broke the sense of reality and it was so jarring that it woke me up....but up until that point, it was so much fun! I was chasing him around with a shot gun, shooting up into the ceiling and trying to hit him as he ran around on the second floor, up above us....

Anyway, dream woke me up- dunno how it ends. But it was fun...now I'm jonesing for more Gears...but I gotta go back to bed...

Later!

David

ps. YES I got out of bed to post this. Look what I do for you motherfuckers! :)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Sitting at my kitchen table downstiars, listening to the girls upstairs washing toy animals in their bathroom sink. I have no clue why they love doing this but Lord knows they do...there's some clean motherfucking toy animals upstairs in my house, I'll tell you that. I do recall loving to sit in the bathtub as a kid and play with my super hero action figures, making forts and secrets bases out of bubble bath and stuff...that was fun.

Noticing more and more games are starting to look like play action sets/claymation...and in a great way. For example, in the underground caverns of Gears 2 right now (loving it!) and there's this part where the river is running thru the caverns and it LOOKS like I've stepped into a little claymation set or something...it's like things look real enough but they also look kind of toy like...and this is not an insult. I LOVE Gears 2 and think it sports some of the best graphics this gen so far. This is an observation of many great looking next-gen games. Things sort of look...toy like. Or stop motion like. Hell, I noticed it in Madagascar 2 this weekend as well...it was almost like watching stop motion/claymation...what is that? It's not the old, PS2 era generation bad art stuff where the skin of characters was too shiny. We're way beyond that now... again, I LOVE the graphics in Gears and really like this effect but I just can't put my finger on what it is and/or if it's intentional or just a side effect of graphics getting closer and closer to real life....

Anyway, sorry for lack of posts this week- we're rushing to a few major milestones we have coming up in the next few weeks so all hands are on deck. Just totally swamped. A few rambly things:

a- What will my Xmas game be?!?! Prince of Persia maybe? I will have Gears 2 finished by the time Thanksgiving hits, so that is out. Oooh, I need to play Fallout 3...perhaps that and Prince? And shit, still have not played DEAD SPACE. So there are choices :)

b- STILL playing JEAN D'ARC on PSP and still FUCKING LOVING IT!!!! I play in little spurts, really get into it for a few days, get 1-3 battles done, then put it down for 1-3 weeks...but I always come back to it. Man, it's a great game. I don't think it got the love it deserved but hell, TURN BASED RPGS never really do in the states....

c- PSP store is really cool! I just got on it a few days ago...had not been on before...truth be told, not a lot of stuff on there that gets me excited (I dloaded the MLB 08 demo...that was fun!) but it's the same interface as PS3 store and it really gets me jazzed about PSP2 (I know nothing, just speculating that the new PSP- whenever it hits- will let us get games via the store and bypass UMD)...I still love the PSP altho I know there always has been a drought of amazing games...I still think it's a crazy impressive system and it's done well but in the shadow of the DS it lost a good deal of its luster...was it a mistake to assume portable players WANTED a console experience? Is that where it went wrong? Along with the biz model causing portable games- which are usually pretty inexpensive to make- to creep into the 4-8 million dollar budget range?!? I would guess yes...wonder if PSP2 will focus more on less expensive more casual style games or keep the more 'portable console' take...

d- Speaking of DS, man it's EVERYWHERE! Waiting for my doc to come in the other day for a check up and outside the door I hear my doc and the nurse (both women, no less) talking about how they are playing different games on their Ds's...pretty cool!

e- Craving Uncharted 2! I have such fond memories of playing thru the first one last Xmas season. Perhaps I will dig it out and play it again...prob not tho...too many new games to play....but who knows...

Ok, need to get the kids some breakfast then get to work...chat with you guys soon!

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Note: Please forgive my hat head...I still have not had a shower today. This is why I wear the fisherman's hat so often in my blog posts...but it's downstairs right now and I'm too lazy to go get it. I tend to work in my pajamas since I work at home and my hair- unlike other people who can just wake up and go- seriously looks like a damned rat's nest in the morning. So there ya go...man up and suffer thru my horrendous hair style. And remember: FUCK SALT!!!!

David

NOTE: No clue why this is out of sync...never happened before to me on Youtube...but you should be able to get the gist, yes? Thanks!

Let me make three things clear. Or at least try to. I will be using TEXT (aka WORDS) to make my points and it's obvious many of you Kotaku commenters seem to have a hard time grasping this new fangled communication device but I will do my best...so here goes:

#1- if you actually read Kotaku you would see- in referring to my FUCK OFF comment- they said this:

The audience took the comment in the good humour it was intended, and the session was drawn to an appropriate close."

#3- And finally: While I am brash and obnoxious at times (mainly because I find the ultra PC environment we live in toxic to the spirits of all humans and thus feel this ultra PC environment needs to have its teeth kicked in from time to time...oh hell, all the fucking time), I have never and WILL never insult ANY ONE who goes out of their way to take interest in our work and ask me a question (unless they are being a prick to me). I mean, here is a guy who got off his ass and went to a place that I was not even really there, I was VIRTUALLY there. You think I'm really going to be a dick to him?!? And I will CERTAINLY NEVER insult ANYONE who cares enough about a game series we have worked on (in this case, Twisted Metal) to ask a question about said series. We are all grateful the series has fans who care enough to ask us over and over what the future holds for Sweet Tooth and the gang. And as I've said before, I am contractually bound by Sony to NOT announce our new game. That is Sony's job and Sony will announce when they are ready. I would LOVE to tell you guys what we are doing but I'm not going to jeopardize our company's contract and/or reputation and so I remain mum on the whole thing. I am sure you understand.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Lord have mercy- E3 has JUST announced that it's going back to old school format (THANK GOD!!!! GAMING GODS, YOU ARE REAL AND YOU HAVE ANSWERED MY PRAYERS!!!) and already...fucking ALREADY...there are asshats bitching about it...as in: well, if E3 was fine back in the 1995-2006 years, it never would have needed to change.....to that I say: GO FUCKYOURSELF!!! Just don't come if you don't like it! Stay the fuck home!!!

It's a God Damned circus is what it is and I for one am SOOOOOO thrilled to have it back. I'm not gonna sit here and pretend, "Oh I am so serious, I have business to do there and all the sweaty fanboys and Gamestop workers and booth babes are in my way of doing serious business...brr! brr! Mr. Potter's the name! Brrr!"

....it's like, 'ultra serious dude who has probably never actually shipped a game that anyone gave a shit about' ? Uhm would you please just go and FUCK OFF!!!! Sounds to me like a bunch of elitist bullshit where wannabes who have somehow managed to get a toe hold in the biz now get the chance to act all high and mighty towards the 'little people' who are not where they are yet. It's like: 'waaaahhh! waahhhh! This is MY special club and I don't want anyone below me to come in it so I get to feel like a big shot....wahhhh!'

Well fuck that.

I do 'business' at E3 as well. We all do. And yeah our feet get sore and our voices run out and we are tired as shit at the end...and yeah, SOMETIMES the booth babe thing makes our industry look immature...but so the hell what....sometimes the booth babes are just damn fine to look at and what the hell is wrong with that? I mean really.. so-the-fuck- what? Why can't E3 be loud and obnoxious and the fucking geek party of the year as well as a place to do the biz? Oh and damn, you get to catch up with all your industry friends too. AND the mainstream media covers our biz all over the place?!?!

What the SHIT (tired of writing FUCK) are you complaining about?!?! As for who is complaining, I ain't naming names but it's on a major game site...that's all I will say.

....and I am SOOOOO glad it's back. GOD this rocks! Thanks to all those who made it happen...and to bring back a quote from the 60's and to mangle it a bit....to all those who don't like these new developments: if it's too loud/too big/too spectacular...then ya'll are just too damn old!

Later ya'll!

Happy David

ps. I guess the public is not going to be let in via tickets and such but it sounds like it's not going to be that big of a deal to get in if you really have your heart set on it? FANTASTIC! Now maybe next year they will sell some tickets and let the public in...

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

It's the inaugural 'episode' of FROM THE DESK, a new feature of the show where they have guests video conference into the show from all over the world. My understanding is they are going to project my ichat signal up onto a giant screen and I'll get to interface with the audience, take questions, talk games,etc.

Should be fun and it's just the way I like to travel! I always wish I could BE in cool places but the trouble of prepping for a flight, the flight itself, customs, jetlag, then doing it all over to get back home....yuch man. Can't stand it. And with small kids, I also hate being away from home any more than I absolutely have to as I don't want to miss a day of them growing up.

Perhaps someone in Nottingham will grab the computer and take me for a laptop stroll around town so I can see the sites...hell, this is where Robin Hood is supposedly from, yes? That would be great!

Ok, chat with you guys in a bit.

David

ps. back to playing Metal Gear! Oh MAN this game is good!!!! Kinda bummed I'm playing now cause it seems like the PERFECT holiday game to get lost in, staying up till 3am battling bosses, playing on New Year's Eve day,etc...every year there is a game like that that becomes my holiday game...wonder what it will be this year. Prince of Persia? Dead Space? Resistance 2, perhaps? Shit, now I'm all excited for Uncharted 2!!! Oh, ya know I never played Mass Effect...maybe I'll get that for the holidays...anyway, gotta run...stop by and see me in Nottingham if you guys hit Gamecity this year!

pps. I am also doing a similar video conference convention appearance in Philly in November. Check it out. ...so if you are going, come in and see me! I wonder how these virtual 'tours' are gonna work out...cause people who wanna see me virtually can always just come here! :) But hell, I'm up for giving it a try!

Friday, October 10, 2008

a- an easily angered conservative as it's very liberalb- only here for game info...this is all politics

Thanks-great weekend ya'll!

David

ps. the mess we are in- that I refer to above- is about America's reputation in the world and wars we are fighting...I am fully aware and ashamed that folks in the Democratic party (not that I am a Democrat but I am more Dem than Repub) had such a large hand in ASPECTS of the financial crisis. BUT if you think it's all Barney and his boyz and no Republicans or not the sheer greed of consumers then you are wrong, I feel.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

NOTE: Rambling...AGAIN! Sorry guys- not a lot of time to think these days when I post as I do it in between downloading builds of the game..

SECOND NOTE: I post comments under da criminal...not JAFFE. Anyone posting as anything else claiming to be me is not really me. And to make sure it's me, click on my name and it should take you to this blog...so that way you will know it's really me.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Posted this on another board (a super secret one that I can not talk about) during a discussion of the new Bill Maher film, Religilous. Decent movie, not a lot of new info if you watch REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER, but it's a solid flick and it does- as intended- generate some discussion.

So I thought this post I made on that subject summed up my views on religion and God pretty darn good. Not that anyone was asking, but hey, I like discussing religion as much as politics, so...here ya go :)

The more I hear atheists talk, the more they seem as diluted as the folks who simply believe in God without any proof.

Given how much has changed in regards to our knowledge of our own planet, let alone the universe and the laws that- we think- govern the majority of that universe, how any atheist can claim that what we've learned through science is enough to know the truth about much of anything is, to me, ignorant. Given how much we know- which is still very little considering the size of the universe and the numerous mysteries we have yet to solve, let alone the mysteries that we have yet to even discover- how atheists can use science as their proof is- to me- as ignorant as a religious person using a religious text as theirs. And it's not ignorant because-clearly- we can see the effects of gravity but we don't- at least most people on a conscious level anyway- see the effects of a God sanctioned miracle. But ignorant because both of these roads to the truth (science and religion) have some massive pot holes. Hell, both roads are mostly made up of potholes and it's rare to even see the road.

Given how little we know about anything in regards to life, the universe, and everything, it seems the height of arrogance on ALL sides to plant a flag and stake ANY sort of claim to ANY sort of truth.

Now a lot of folks bag on us agnostics because we don't 'pick a side'. But when both sides are clearly missing so many pieces of the puzzle, isn't the only logical response to sit back, watch the show, and simply admit, "beats the fuck out of me as to what is going on'?

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Last 3 weeks have been totally dedicated- on my part- to level design. It's been fun and the levels are coming along great. But now it's time to shift gears to game play, game mechanics, and balance/detail issues. This is where the game really comes alive. The goal should be- at the end of this 'gameplay fitness' regime (as Scott calls it)- that we can put the controller in the hands of people and they realize it's very, very rough and they may need some explanations about some of the game play- but once all that is taken into account- they are having a decent-to-really fun time.

Over the last month, as I've played the game and seen things I don't like, things I want to change/adjust, or just had brainstorms or issues, I'd write them on a post it note and stick it on my desk. Well today- now that level design is done for a few weeks- it's time to take those notes and get bizzy working with the team to deal with my gameplay issues, as well as the issues the rest of the team has.

So I've taken all my issues and put them in a hat and now I'm about to start going thru them all, one by one, and making notes of things I'd like to see the team take on in hopes of getting the game to a really fun state.

Wish us luck! Thought I'd share!

Later!

ps. not my place to say anything about the GOW III game director. Do I know who it is? Yes. Do I like the person. Totally. Do I think this person is very talented and hope this person will bring the talent I've seen from him before into the role of game director? Hells yeah. But it's not my place to drop names on a game I am not involved with. Keep an eye out from Sony in regards to this issue.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Ok, gotta admit, she did MUCH MUCH better in the debate than I ever dreamed she would. Was it rope-a-dope? Doubt it. I mean, to me, she came nowhere close to winning and man, I always liked Biden but shucks, he was just great for a liberal like me to hear. I know there's this contingency of the country that loves this idea of electing people who are 'just like them' or with whom they would like to have a beer. But me...and alot of other folks? Man, give us someone smart, well spoken, and wise to run the country ANY day, And that is what I saw in Biden last nite. But all that said, you gotta hand it to Palin- while she did not win and she did not say anything really all that valuable- she more than made up for her horrific interviews over the last two weeks. But THAT said, someone needed to call her on her shit of, "Oh, well golly gatcha jeeze, I don't wanna answer THAT question, but how about I pick this little critter right here instead and talk about that?' ...it's like, lady, it's a DEBATE not a fucking buffet...

Ok, up early to head to "Dad's Day" at my kid's school this morning (I have NO clue what this is...they said to show up for some hour long assembly and so, hey, I'm showing up...) and then driving to LA to meet with the Sony folks. Chat with you guys this weekend or next week. Have a great weekend!

David

END UPDATE ***************

...but DEAR GOD don't make me talk to her afterwards...

God, I can't wait for tonite...even if she doesn't crash and burn, it should be an interesting night of tee-vee :)

David

ps. is this left wing propaganda? Yup, yup. You betcha! And could you pretty much edit a video with selected clips and make ANYONE look ANY way you wanted? Sure, no doubt. BUT come on, even you die hard McCain supporters- and I respect you, I do- but you guys/gals can NOT be feeling good about this woman...can you? Really? Come on....

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

As I've said before, I dig some of the stuff on G4 and they've always been good to me to my face.

But guys, this is just bullshit.

Please adjust your story to reflect reality, k?

Check out what this guy John Manalang writes:

Jaffe Speaks On 'God Of War' FilmPosted by John Manalang - Wednesday, October 01, 2008 11:17 AMAccording to God of War designer David Jaffe, whether the Ratner-helmed film will be a "massive hit or a massive flop" in terms of profits, Mr. Jaffe wouldn't really care. Why? He'll get a big fat ZERO off it anyhow. But he's open to the idea of Ratner, especially the producer on the film project (S words are involved kiddies):

Wow-where in the world did I ever say I wouldn't really care if the film financially flops or hits?!? I think my video post and update made it clear I am a fan of the GOD OF WAR universe and the folks making the movie and I have high hopes for it. Yes, I will make no MONEY off of it, but that does not mean I don't care if it's a financial hit and I have no fucking clue why you would assume such a thing. In fact the whole point of my update was that money- or lack of money- is NOT the reason I am positive about the movie. I don't think I ever stated if I cared if the film was a hit or not. But my actions- saying I think the film is in good hands and I wish it well- should indicate which side my toast is buttered on. But to spell it out for you: yes, I would very much like the GOD OF WAR movie to be a hit.

Man, do you guys have like editors or fact checkers or ANYTHING over there? I mean, this is the SECOND fucking time you guys have just made shit up about me and my views. Who is running the place over there, Steve Schmidt?!? What the hell?

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

+++++++UPDATE:To all the cynical asshats on the net who have been posting that the reason I am so positive about the movie is because I have a financial stake in the flick, let me make it clear: I don't get SHIT for this movie, money wise. I think Sony negotiated me an associate producer credit and I am grateful for that. But there is no money with that credit, and there is no back end. I was a Sony employee when I creatively lead a team of 100+ people to bring God of War to life and don't own .1% of the property in any way. Which means, no money EVER came to me- or will come to me- off the film, be it a massive hit or a massive flop. And no money has come to me from the game since I left Sony. You guys who think I've for some financial stake in this property are simply wrong.

I love the GOD OF WAR universe and have much faith in the folks Mosaic have assembled to turn the game into a movie...and I am a lover of all good movies, especially big popcorn action flicks, which the GOD OF WAR film is shaping up to be....but no, I ain't making diddly off the movie...but thanks for acting like you're an expert...must suck to not be knowledgeable about ANYTHING...END UPDATE++++++++++++++++

I know....God, I know. What a fucking idiot I would be...and what a sheep I am to care. But MAN, I think these are cool...and MAN I know the chances of me having sex if I own a pair of these drops to like .2%....and the .2% is only because during Comic Con there ARE really drunk geek girls....but they are so drunk they will prob. puke all over you during the act...so hell, that's out.......but man, they are cool!

Friday, September 26, 2008

My oldest daughter- she's 5- is running around the house, screaming and kicking and wailing about not wanting to eat breakfast, not wanting to brush her teeth, not wanting to get dressed. In essence, she doesn't want to go to school.

She wants to stay home and groom her toy horses and then set up a pretend horse corral (animals are her passion right now... she wants to be an animal rescuer like Diego- from the kid's tv show-when she grows up).

And here I sit, listening to the ET soundtrack, working on an amazing creative project with an amazing creative team, and doing exactly what I love to do. There is nothing else I want to be doing other than what I am doing right now. This work is my passion.

And it occurs to me: When I was a kid, I was JUST like my daughter.

Sitting here typing this, I am having vivid recollections of my own childhood, of me reading a behind- the- scenes/making of magazine for INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM before school one morning. I so did not want to go to class. I can see the magazine in my mind so clearly, see myself, sitting at the kitchen table and looking at those pictures, the pictures of the people who got to wake up and - instead of going to school- got to go and MAKE the movies I loved. And I remember LONGING, FANTASIZING about getting to wake up and go do those sorts of amazing,creative jobs, instead of going to school, where I had to study stuff I had no interest in at all.

And now, my youngest- at only 5- is doing the exact same thing!

Granted, she likes school more than I ever did. She gets that from her mom, thank God. And hopefully- because she's she's a good mix of me and her mom- she'll be a lot more balanced than I ever was/am :)

And she'll also have parents like I had: parents who totally allowed me and supported me and encouraged me to follow my passions.

But man...right now? Right now I so feel her pain. I so know- to this day- exactly what she is feeling.

And at the same time, I am so lucky and so happy and so grateful to be doing what I do, doing what I love.

And if I could- and perhaps somehow in writing this, I am- I would love to reach back through the years and whisper in the ear of that kid pouring over the Indiana Jones magazine: 'hang in there kid...you'll get to where you want to be...I promise....'

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Sorry for the lack of posts this week- will hit you guys up in the next day or two. Work is super busy right now, so just not a lot of time.

Quick hits:

LEGO BATMAN=More of the same? Only 1 level in but without the Lucas licenses, I'm kind of bored. Really well made; like some of the ideas so far (Batman bomb suit is fun, like some of the puzzles). But the formula may be wearing thin for me and plus: It IS a kid's game and the power of the license was enough to see me thru in the past. Not a rabid Batman fan, so that must play a part. Now Lego Spidey? Fuck it, Lego MARVEL! Hells yeah, I'm playing that day one!

FORCE UNLEASHED- Got it, installed it, have not pressed start cause no time to play right now. Loved the demo tho. Weekend play maybe?

WIPEOUT HD- Out today! Sweet! Saw on GAF it's crashing tho? Is that happening all over? Anyone played it? Good stuff?

MCCAIN BAILS OUT OF DEBATE- Come the fuck on people. The man- who has admitted he knows little about economics- has to rush off and 'play' hero and 'save the country'? He can't take 3 hours out of his 'saving the country' schedule (which no one has said they need him to do) to, you know, FUCKING DEBATE so the country- which he claims to want to put first- can hear the differences between him and his opponent for the most powerful job in the world? And now he wants to suspend the VP debates as well? Come on...I know some Republicans/McCain supporters read this blog...are you guys/gals really buying this? It's a DEBATE! It's not a tour of duty! It's 3 hours out of this time. The economy will COLLAPSE if he takes 3 hours off to give the country a conversation it needs and deserves??!? And fuck, why can't Palin debate as scheduled? What, SHE is needed now too to save the country? You guys CAN NOT be buying this. You don't have to like or vote for Obama....you can still vote for McCain and be passionate about that choice...but you can't really think this is not bullshit...can you?!?!

REVENGE OF THE SITH- Jake Campbell- Scott's Son (my biz partner/co-owner of Eat Sleep Play and supremo game maker in general)- is always telling me the Star Wars prequels are good, better than the originals,etc. I always chalked up that insane, "you must consume copious amounts of crack' statement to the fact that Jake was a kid when the new trilogy came out and Lucas always says the new movies (and the old ones?!?!) are made for kids,etc. BUT the other nite I popped in REVENGE OF THE SITH and somehow was able- for the first time since it hit DVD- to get past 2-3 of the gut wrenchingly bad scenes that in the past had always had me ripping the movie out of my player and tossing it back on the shelf (the 'Padme combing her hair and talking about love being blind' scene is particularly difficult to stomach). But somehow- not sure why- I chose to endure and get past those scenes. And once I made it thru those horrific moments (and they are all toward the start), I was surprised and happy to find that- for me- it's a really good Star Wars movie. Like, one of the best. Like it goes: EMPIRE, STAR WARS, SITH.

As a directed film, it can't hold up to most film school festival entries...I mean, the prequels are really poorly directed movies. No drama to the visual storytelling AT all. That scene where Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Palpatene get caught by the force field/beam of light? You'd think that would shot in a dramatic way, using a number of tense, close shots edited together in some sort of emotionally evocative way. But nah: Lucas just sets the camera down and we get a long shot of some people running and then stopping because they are now surrounded by some light. The movie is filled with missed opportunities to tell the story in a visual way. And it hurts the film tremendously.

But as a STORY, it's pretty darn good I think. Need to go back and re-watch Ep 1 and Ep 2 and see if my mind has changed on those. But on Revenge, I'm like: 'hey, this is actually pretty good...Jake is right!' ...now I'm watching all the docs on the Revenge disc and really digging those.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Couldn't sleep last nite, so I browsed the PSN movie store. I really like the movie store on Playstation and have downloaded a surprisingly semi-decent amount of content from the service. I never thought I would use it, but there's something really nice about renting movies from the comfort of your couch.

There are two things that really bug me about the store, however.

- the rates are too high on television episodes. 2 bucks for an individual episode of a tv show? That's a bit nuts when you can get 3-6 episodes for 3.99 if you rent a disc containing 1/3 of a television season at Blockbuster or from Netflix.

-why are so many of the newest releases for purchase only? I've passed on the PSN movie store on at least 5 occasions- and updated my Netflix cue instead- because the PSN store only gave me a purchase option for a movie that I wanted to rent.

Just last week- geeky and lame as it is (and it IS)- I really wanted to watch the new Avengers animated movie that recently launched on the service. But my ONLY option via PSN was to pony up 15 bucks to OWN a digital copy of a movie that I will probably only watch for 30 minutes (cause I imagine it's not a very engaging movie if you are over the age of 10). So I just added the movie to my Netflix cue and the PSN store lost a sale.

To that point, does anyone want to own a digital copy of a movie, anyway? I suppose if you watch the flick a lot of times it makes sense. But given that digital movies take up valuable hard drive space, wouldn't those frequently watched films be the ones you choose to own on Blu Ray or DVD?

And on a tangent: I can understand, support, and actually enjoy downloading games (whatever the size of the title). And I'm not sure why, as you'd think I'd have the same reservations with downloading games as I do movies...but I don't. Why is that? Sure, some are ONLY downloadable titles, so you have no choice. But what about games like BURNOUT:PARADISE and WARHAWK that you can get on disc or digitally? Or what about the games I own on Steam? For some reason, I LIKE owning digital games but not digital movies. Is this just because I work in the business and see a financial value to selling games digitally and bypassing brick and mortar? Or is there another reason? Not too sure.

But anyway:

So why would the PSN movie store NOT offer the options to buy AND rent? Are they trying to get as much cash as possible by selling digital copies first and then opening up the rental channel once they've milked the sales channel? That seems kind of short sighted and a bad way to generate good faith among users (especially with a fledgling system). And ESPECIALLY since anyone can easily counter that tactic by running down the road to Blockbuster and/or updating their Netflix cue (and in doing so, saving 11 bucks by renting the movie and not buying it). So why are they doing it? They clearly have a rental service in place and working, so I don't imagine it's a technical issue. But whatever the reason, it sucks much ass and they need to stop.

I have not shopped on the Xbox Live video store in over a year so I'm not sure if it's the same 'over there'. Do you guys know if they have the same set up? I know about the Netflix subscription thing, but that aside, can you rent AND/OR buy ANY movie on that service or do they have a lot of the movies that are purchase only as well? And if they do, they need to knock that shit off as well.

So, there's that.

Ok, but even with those issues, I really like the PSN movie store. Nice layout, good selection. Oh, and it rocks for the kids- they like browsing the family section with me and discovering movies they've never heard of but end up really liking.

So I was up late using it last night.

And I rented ROCKY III as it's my fave Rocky and I've been wanting to watch it for awhile. Love ALL the Rockys, save for number 5, but I've been wanting to see Rocky and Mr. 'T' go at it for the last few months. So I picked #3.

And so I rent it (yes!), and start watching. And what do I see in the first 20 minutes? Right as the 'Clubber is hungry and Rocky is getting lazy' montage? Well check it out:

How cool is that? Mr. 'T' kicked my ass! Sweet!

I saw this movie first as a kid with my mom during the summer of 82. It was playing at the Brookwood Mall theater and my brother was away at summer camp, my dad was at work. This was a magic theater, by the way. SAME theater where I saw Raiders, ET, Clash of the Titans, and Excalibur. But anyway, saw it with my mom and you would have thought she would have noticed our last name appearing in the flick. But she never said anything and for some reason it never caught my eye till last nite. Hey, maybe this is one of those living advertisement things, where they alter the movie and put the last name of the person who is paying for the account into the flick? Nah....

I guess I could have just posted that pic and not gone into my whole love/dislike thing with the PSN store but like I said- I was up late...and so I'm tired now. And my brain is not working so well on such little sleep. I think I got about 4 hours of sleep last nite (late to bed, up early as my youngest crawled into bed with me at 5am and I've been up since...but hell, I don't mind...would rather have Rocky III and my kids hanging in bed with me than 8 hours of sleep, anyday!)

Saturday, September 13, 2008

All I gotta do now is figure out how to get another vid signal in from someone else's web cam so I can do chats with someone else and we're in biz....will post in the next few days about the first official webcast! Thanks for the help ya'll!

David

+++++++++++++++UPDATE

Need to hook up a mic- gonna be 9pm pacific time, fyi

+++++++

Bear with me, this may be another clusterfuck but I think this time it's gonna work a hell of a lot better than last time :)

Will be on live in about 10 minutes to test (it's 8:15pm pacific time on Saturday nite right now):

Friday, September 12, 2008

One of my buddies from college- hey Susan!- just uploaded this pic from 1993/94 to facebook!

Oh MAN! Look at those glasses! That hair!!! Wow! Please, when you are guys are done with the time machine please let me take it for a spin. I need to go back to that night and beat some sense into that clueless motherfucker! :)

One thing that has not changed however is my never ending love for The Olive Garden- that is where we were when that pic was taken. You can tell by the very classy mural displaying an Itallian country side that has been painted on the wall. :)

Yep, there we are, at the Olive Garden in Westwood (all the SC' kids took the tram to Westwood on weekends...what were we gonna do, hang out in South Central?!?!). So that's us, hanging on the stairs leading up to the 'main dining room' of that fine institution of Italian cuisine! Oh man, I can taste the breadsticks now!

Watch Me Tweet!

My Latest Game

This is the game I directed/lead designed that is currently running on Playstation Network! The critics pretty much hated it but it has its fans and I am one of them! I'm super proud of this thing and I think it's a blast! Hope to see ya online while it's still alive :).

THE LITTLE COMPANY THAT WAS...

We've officially shut down The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency. I am almost certain it shall rise again one day in some form or another but at least as far as ver 1.0 is concerned, 'She's dead, Jim'. And I'll miss her. What a great team, a great company, and a great experience. Thanks for everything, Bartlet Jones! And thanks to Sony for the opportunity to launch our little adventure; y'alls faith in us remains so appreciated! Y'all rock!